A legal agreement reached between the District and an alleged violator as a means to resolve a violation of District rules. A Consent Order contains three major elements: (1) Findings of Fact, which describes the events leading up to the discovery of the violation; (2) Conclusions of Law, which specifies which laws were violated as a result of the activities conducted; and (3) Corrective Actions, which addresses time frames and steps to be taken by the violator to correct the situation and usually includes a monetary penalty. The Consent Order is signed by the violator and the Executive Director and becomes effective upon approval of the Governing Board.

A consent decree is an agreement or settlement to resolve a dispute between two parties without admission of guilt. The plaintiff and the defendant ask the court to enter into their agreement, and the court maintains supervision over the implementation of the decree in monetary exchanges or restructured interactions between parties. It is similar to and sometimes referred to as an antitrust decree, stipulated judgement, settlement agreements or consent judgment. Consent decrees are frequently used by federal courts to ensure that businesses and industries adhere to regulatory laws in areas such as antitrust law, employment discrimination, and environmental regulation.